Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" and Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love and relationships. They also reflect on hope, which is the essence of the strength that Browning and Gatsby draw upon in the texts. Browning's sonnets were molded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, "The Great Gatsby" is also influenced by its context of the Jazz Age and Age of Prohibition, and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. Browning's sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that was considered almost too good to be true. However, her ideals are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, "The Great Gatsby" also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, tainted by the corruption of the American Dream.
Gatsby-Daisy Relationship
Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" portrays, amongst other things, Jay Gatsby's 'extraordinary gift for hope' which sees him go to incredible lengths to get the woman of his dreams.
Hope is symbolized in the novel by the recurrent motif of the green light, something that Nick notices Gatsby 'stretching his arm out towards....trembling'. The green light is also symbolic of the past, something intangible; something Gatsby can see, but cannot grasp. In an audacious attempt to recreate the past and lure Daisy, Gatsby purchases a sprawling mansion (particularly in knowledge of the proximity of the Buchanan residence) and throws parties that reek of richness and superficiality. Can tweek this expression. Doesn't read quite right Fitzgerald comments on the shallowness of the rich in the 1920s context of the American society, while also hinting that Gatsby's wealth was accumulated by illicit means, not adhering to the ideals of the American Dream. However, the futility of Gatsby's efforts force him to set up a direct meeting with Daisy. Ironically, Gatsby does recreate the past. So close to making his all-consuming fantasy reality, Daisy chooses to go back with her husband Tom. Her staunch refusal to say the words "I never loved you" to her husband are indicative of the affinity that years of marriage with Tom had resulted in.Good stufff but I can't quite see what your main point is in this paragraph. Hope and his yearning search for Daisy - I get that from the 1st sentence. The 2nd half - the futility of his efforts - seems to drift away and focus on Daisy rather then Gatsby
The ambiguity of Daisy's and Gatsby's intentions is also evident in this novel. Gatsby is reassured by Daisy's admission "You know I love you" but is thwarted at the final hurdle, when, in his confrontation with Tom Buchanan, Daisy refuses to say "I never loved you" to her husband. She chooses the comfort and luxury bought with the Buchanan's' old money, leaving Gatsby out in the cold. I presume you are wanting to make some comment about the shallow, self-serving nature of love for Daisy. That's a good point but I'd aim for a more thorough discussion Gatsby's obsession is his pursuit of Daisy and all his actions revolve around this goal. But when he does get her, he is unsure of his own feelings. In a single moment, all his zeal for life that Nick describes as his "incredible gift for hope" vanishes. Their relationship is greatly diminished by the fact that Gatsby isn't in love with Daisy, but with what she represents. Gatsby doesn't really know Daisy, and this lack of real, tangible roots in their relationship suggest that, to him, she is nothing but a fantasy that he must have at all costs. This is evident in Nick's observation, "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams". Nicely said. This ties in well with hope at the top. Try to examine the whole unrealistic yearning of Gatsby on some expressed understanding of love and hope. What does she represent for him that her pursues her with such zeal?
However, in spite of losing Daisy for a second time, Gatsby watches over the Buchanan residence for fear of what the aggressive Tom might do to Daisy upon learning of her "affair". That there was some authenticity in their relationship is indubitable - proof being Gatsby's final act of claiming responsibility for a crime that Daisy commits. Meanwhile, Daisy retreats back to her life of luxury with Tom, her reputation unblemished, leaving as Nick puts it, "others to clean up the mess". This goes with the Daisy stuff 2 paragraphs up. Careful of slipping into recount. So you have: (1) Gatsby's devoted search, based on illusion, and (2) Daisy as shallow, self-serving and so on. Daisy is fairly simple to 'get'. Gatsby less so and requires more concept- building - about the nature of love he represents
EBB Sonnets - Body Paragraph
EBB's sonnets reflect varying types of love. Sonnet 1 portrays the transforming nature of love and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the first quatrain, Browning's allusion to the Greek poet Theocritus informs the reader of how she feels that "a gift for mortals" has eluded her. Her repetition and alliteration ? in "sweet, sad years, the melancholy years" emphasizes the monotonicitynot a word I have heard of - emphasises how she only felt fully alive once she met ... My expression not terribly convincing either of her life until she meets met Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - "had flung/ A shadow across me. " at the beginning of the sestet reveal that Browning is resigned to the fact that nothing other than Death awaits her in future. However, she is pleasantly(seems too lame - utterly or completely maybe) surprised to find that "the silver answer" is "Not Death, but Love". This sonnet is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB's life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.
SO YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS POINT LOOKS LIKE:(with my alterations in the 2nd paragraph) Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" and Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love and relationships. They also reflect on hope, which is the essence of the strength that Browning and Gatsby draw upon in the texts. Browning's sonnets were molded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, "The Great Gatsby" is also influenced by its context of the Jazz Age and Age of Prohibition, and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. Browning's sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that was considered almost too good to be true. However, her ideals are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, "The Great Gatsby" also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, tainted by the corruption of the American Dream.
EBB's sonnets reflect varying types of love. Sonnet 1 portrays the transforming nature of love and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the first quatrain, Browning's allusion to the Greek poet Theocritus informs the reader of how she feels that "a gift for mortals" has eluded her. Her repetition and alliteration in "sweet, sad years, the melancholy years" emphasises how she only felt fully alive once she met Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - "had flung/ A shadow across me. " at the beginning of the sestet reveal that Browning is resigned to the fact that nothing other than Death awaits her in future. However, she is utterly to find that "the silver answer" is "Not Death, but Love". This sonnet is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB's life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.
Don't forget context has to go in here. And our whole lead-in to types of love. Are you satisfied with sonnet 1? You might find even this is too much. How many sonnets do you want to refer in this authentic love section? Keep drafting; worry about editing back later.
TEXTS IN TIME ESSAY
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. Portrayal of social and historical contexts in different texts play a vital role in upholding the value of the texts over a number of years. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (1925) are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love, relationships and the strength that hope instils. EBB's sonnets were moulded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, Fitzgerald was also influenced by the social atmosphere in the wake of the Great War, and "The Great Gatsby" contains undercurrents of the values and norms of the Jazz Age and era of Prohibition and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. EBB unwittingly expressed her deep love for Robert Browning in the form of sonnets, which were not originally intended for publication. Her sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that is almost too good to be true, one that is sublime. However, her ideas are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, TGG also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, something tainted by the corruption of the American Dream. Fitzgerald also comments on how the authenticity of love was compromised due to the greedy and materialistic outlook of people in the aftermath of World War 1. Both texts are extremely effective in their portrayal of differing forms of love in their respective contexts.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” explore various attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature. EBB portrays authentic love as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. Her sonnets reflect not only her personal milieu, but also the social context of the 1840s. Being a reclusive invalid, EBB’s chances of finding a lasting relationship based on authentic personal love seemed minimal – a fact compounded by her father’s absurd determination to leave out of the will any of his children who dared to get married. EBB’s Methodist faith and well-rounded classical education are both reflected in her sonnets. In the patriarchal Victorian society of the early 19th century, people had an extremely pragmatic attitude towards marriage and considered it to be a business venture, undertaken with economic stability and status in the foreground. EBB in contrast, places true love higher up the hierarchy and openly expresses her emotions in her sonnets. However, expressions of sexual aspects of love are repressed in accordance with the norms of the social context. EBB’s portrayal of the aspects of true love in her sonnets thus challenges as well as upholds the values and morals of the 1840s Victorian society.
Sonnet 1 from EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” (I think EBB is an acceptable abbreviation but you don't have to keep repeating 'Sonnets from the Portuguese') portrays the transforming nature of love, and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the opening quatrain, Browning’s allusion to the “ancient tongue” of the Greek poet Theocritus informs the readers of how she feels “a gift for mortals” has eluded her. The repetition in “sweet years, the dear and wished for years” emphasises that they are things of the past now and that her future is extremely bleak. In the second quatrain, her use of repetition in, “sweet, sad years, the melancholy years” highlight the monotonicity of her life until she meets Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - “had flung// A shadow across me” ( single backslash for end of a line; double backslash for the caesura; include the fullstop) - at the beginning of the sestet convey that Browning is resigned to the fact nothing but Death awaits her in future. But she is utterly surprised to find that “the silver answer” is “Not Death, but Love”. Her personal context is evident in this sonnet, which is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB’s life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.
In stark contrast to Browning, F. Scott Fitzgerald went some way to showing how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age through his novel “The Great Gatsby”. The social atmosphere in the 1920s was very different to the backdrop of the Victorian era and different values and morals are evident in the novel. TGG explores the ideal of love in very different ways to EBB’s sonnets. The 1920s was a decade of great prosperity and gung-ho (too colloquial) attitudes to life were rife among society. Weakening of religion and a surge in people (esp. women) apathetic to traditional American morals led to a revolutionised public outlook and prompted Fitzgerald to coin the term “Jazz Age” to signify that anything was possible. Superficiality, materialism and greed are terms that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and explored them in his novel TGG, questioning whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences. Fitzgerald’s personal context was also an important influence in TGG. His difficult marriage to Zelda and his desperate bid to maintain his celebrity status in New York was worsened by the fact that he was in dire financial straits. Gatsby’s early lifestyle is reminiscent of Fitzgerald’s own and has obvious parallels with the latter’s life. “The Great Gatsby” was thus shaped by social and personal contexts and effectively challenges the ideal of true love, or authentic love as mentioned in EBB’s sonnets. Very good. Much of the change in values in the 1920s came about in the aftermath of the carnage of WW1 - worth bringing in, I think).
Looking at this, you could consider referring to 2 sonnets but in less detail than you do this one.'Texts in time' is similar to Area of Study in that we are linking texts to shared content and ideas. The depth and detail you include is more like a close study. Your context material is very well written. Nonetheless, you may have to reduce it. See how you go for time and length and balance. Or, spread it out by linking some parts of your material to specific textual references. For example, experiment with bringing in Zelda when discussing Tom and Daisy, or the materialism and greed (or traditional American morals) when discussing the absence of spiritual values in the novel.
I know you are still composing, but at this point I'd say you are too heavy on context and rather light-on for textual evidence. You can make these decisions and adjustments when your 1st draft is done. Mr W
Not finished as yet - have to write the Gatsby bit and the conclusion - Malhar
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers . Portrayals of social and historical contexts in different texts play a vital role in upholding the value of the texts over a number of years. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (1925) are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love, relationships and the strength that hope instils. Her sonnets are based on authentic love - a pure and untainted form, one that is almost too good to be true, and one that is sublime. However, her ideas are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, TGG also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, something tainted by the corruption of the American Dream. Fitzgerald also comments on how the authenticity of love was compromised due to the greedy and materialistic outlook of people in the aftermath of World War 1. Both texts are extremely effective in their portrayal of differing forms of love in their respective contexts. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” explore various attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature. EBB portrays authentic love as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. In spite of society’s pragmatic attitudes towards marriage, EBB places true love higher up the hierarchy and her sonnets are admired for it. Sonnet 14 of EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” reflects EBB’s perspective on true love in the Victorian context as she differentiates between the attributes of true love and those of superficial love. EBB begins by openly accepting Robert’s love in “If thou must love me.” She goes on to challenge the courting conventions of her context, the 1840s Victorian era, in the opening quatrain – “Do not say I love her for her smile...her way of speaking gently”. Her use of an imperative “Do not say” also indicates her growing confidence in the relationship. Caesura and antithesis at the start of the sestet, “love so wrought, may be unwrought so”, emphasises the disillusionment of what love represents according to EBB and highlights the fickle, superficial nature of such love. Browning expresses her perception of the ideal form of love through use of repetition in “for love’s sake only” and says that this will last “through love’s eternity”. Thus Sonnet 14 portrays EBB’s perspective on the ideal of true love in the context of the 1840s Victorian era. In stark contrast to Browning, F. Scott Fitzgerald went some way to showing how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age through his novel “The Great Gatsby”. TGG explores the ideal of love in very different ways to EBB’s sonnets. Superficiality, materialism and greed are terms that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and explored them in his novel TGG, questioning whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences.
In TGG, the relationship between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan demonstrates that, unlike the intimate personal love in EBB’s sonnets, love that is based on an idealised past and fantasy is destined for failure. Gatsby employs his “extraordinary gift for hope”, which is symbolised by the recurrent motif of the green light, in the pursuit of, not Daisy, but what she represents. That he sees her as a prize or a fantasy that he must have at all costs is evident through the narrator Nick Carraway’s revelation - “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy –it increased her value in his eyes.” Juxtaposed against Browning’s relationship, Gatsby and Daisy’s lack of trust for each other is evident. Even when Gatsby’s elaborate plans come to fruition, Nick reveals that “she tumbled short of his dreams”. This quote conveys that all the zest that Gatsby had for life is all lost in the single moment when he meets Daisy and “the significance of the green light is lost forever”. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of morals in the context of the Jazz Age through Nick who states that “(Gatsby) took her ravenously and unscrupulously when he had no right to lay hands on her”, portraying that the foundation of the relationship was devoid of trust and truthfulness. This is in stark contrast to Browning’s relationship with Robert, where the honesty they share is so deep that it induces vulnerability in Browning. Thus, Fitzgerald’s perspective on the ideals of love in the context of post WW1 America is effectively conveyed through Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship in “the Great Gatsby”. Sonnet 43 of EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” is evidence of the spiritual dimension of EBB’s relationship, an aspect that is quintessential in a relationship based on true love and intimacy. Browning commences the sonnet with a rhetorical, “How do I love thee?” indicative of an answer in the offing. Repetition in “I love thee” highlights the qualities of passion, freedom and purity that EBB attributes to a love that transcends superficial boundaries. She makes an allusion to religious beliefs in the sestet, indicating her Methodist faith – “with the love I seemed to lose/ with my lost saints.” Rigid rhyme scheme in the sonnet – “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ My soul can reach” reflects on the conventions of the Petrarchan form employed and intensifies the spiritual values of the authentic love she shares with Robert Browning. EBB’s apathy to society’s pragmatic marital attitudes was well received by the Victorian people, as her sonnets embodied true love. Fitzgerald meanwhile highlights the lack of spiritual values in the Jazz Age through Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s relationship. Strong characterization is used effectively in the novel to convey this. Tom openly admits to having an affair as is evident in the quotes “I want you to see my girl” and “I go off on a spree, but I always come back”. However, his ruthlessness, selfishness and infidelity are condoned by Daisy since she wants the luxurious lifestyle that Tom provides. Fitzgerald comments on shallowness through Jordan who reveals “Next day at five o’ clock (Daisy) married (Tom) without so much as a shiver.” Ironically, their relationship is the only one that survives. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of spiritual values through Nick when he describes Tom and Daisy as “people that smashed things up...and let other people clean up the mess they made”. Both texts successfully convey their composers’ perspective of the values and types of love present in their respective contexts.
Rather than insert comments,I have copied and reworked. Still a work in progress. Mr W
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. These contexts shape how enduring values and ideas are expressed over different times. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (EBB) "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's novelThe Great Gatsby(TGG) (1925) both explore the nature of love and hope it instils. Browning’s sonnets were influenced by her response to Victorian values and her personal milieu as a spinster in mid life with a dominating father. They are based on authentic love – focused on her real, tangible lover Robertand that is underpinned by both Christian religious faith and Platonic ideals.Composed 70 years later after the Great War, TGG explores the coveted ideal of love and questions whether it is possible in 1920s America when the ideals of the American Dream have been corrupted. Fitzgerald critiques the society of the ‘lost generation’ and ‘Jazz age’ with its predominant greedy and materialistic outlook of people. The novel is also influenced by his personal context of pursuing and marrying the wealthy socialite Zelda Sayre.
Browning’s Sonnets portrays attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature, as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. Although Victorian society often held pragmatic attitudes towards marriage – for social and economic advantage - EBB valued true love more highly her sonnets are admired for it. In Sonnet 14 she differentiates between the attributes of true love and superficial love. She opens by, for the first time in the sonnets, embracing Robert’s love in “If thou must love me.” She challenges the courting conventions of 1840s Victorian era, in the opening quatrain – “Do not say I love her for her smile...her way of speaking gently”. Her use of an imperative “Do not say” also indicates her growing confidence in the relationship. Caesura and antithesis at the start of the sestet, “love so wrought, may be unwrought so”, highlights the fickle, superficial nature of such love. Browning expresses her perception of the ideal form of love through use of repetition in “for love’s sake only” and says that this will last “through love’s eternity”.
By contrast, Fitzgerald showed how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age. Superficiality, materialism and greed are conditions that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and questioned whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences. The relationship between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan demonstrates that, unlike the intimate personal love in EBB’s sonnets, love that is based on an idealised past and fantasy is destined for failure. Gatsby employs his “extraordinary gift for hope”, which is symbolised by the recurrent motif of the green light, in the pursuit of, not Daisy, but what she represents. That he sees her as a prize or a fantasy that he must have at all costs is evident through the narrator Nick Carraway’s revelation - “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy –it increased her value in his eyes.” Juxtaposed against Browning’s relationship, Gatsby and Daisy’s lack of trust for each other is evident. Even when Gatsby’s elaborate plans come to fruition, Nick reveals that “she tumbled short of his dreams”. This implied that all the zest that Gatsby had for life was lost in the single moment when he met Daisy and “the significance of the green light is lost forever”. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of morals in the context of the Jazz Age through Nick who states that “(Gatsby) took her ravenously and unscrupulously when he had no right to lay hands on her”, portraying that the foundation of the relationship was devoid of trust and truthfulness. This is in stark contrast to Browning’s relationship with Robert, where the honesty they share is so deep that it induces vulnerability in Browning.
Sonnet 43 is evidence of a spiritual dimension to love, an aspect that, for Browning, is essential for a relationship to be based on true love and intimacy. The rhetorical opening “How do I love thee?” prepares for a litany of ethereal, spiritual qualities. Repetition in “I love thee” highlights the qualities of passion, freedom and purity that transcend superficial boundaries. An allusion to religious beliefs in the sestet, indicates her Methodist faith – “with the love I seemed to lose/ with my lost saints.” The iambic pentameter of the Petrarchan sonnet form – “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ My soul can reach” creates a tight discipline that intensifies the spiritual values and Platonic ideals of the authentic love she shares with Robert Browning. However, in the aftermath of the carnage and loss of faith of WW1, Fitzgerald highlights the lack of spiritual values in the Jazz Age through Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s relationship. Strong characterization is used effectively in the novel to convey this. Tom openly admits to having an affair: “I want you to see my girl” and “I go off on a spree, but I always come back”. However, his ruthlessness, selfishness and infidelity are condoned by Daisy since she wants the luxurious lifestyle that Tom provides. It is ironic that their relationship is the only one that survives. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of spiritual values through Nick when he describes Tom and Daisy as “people that smashed things up...and let other people clean up the mess they made”.
Both texts successfully convey their composers’ perspective of the values and types of love present in their respective contexts.
CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES
Intro: A person's view or opinion about someone or something is his/her perspective. Perspectives are shaped by various influences including culture, religion, education and political inclinations. Inevitably, different perspectives arise a result. Conflicting perspectives are evident in William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" and Gabriel Range's fictional documentary "Death Of A President". Both these texts convey the varying (and often opposing) perspectives of different characters on the assassination of political leaders in the respective texts. These texts effectively explore how the conflicting perspectives of different characters are a result of personal relationships or a sense of duty towards Caesar/Bush and are also motivated by personal and political agendas.
Anti-Caesar: Conflicting perspectives are portrayed in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" through the action and deeds of (in particular) Brutus and Mark Antony. The play employs dramatic techniques effectively to convey Brutus' perspective on what he considers to be a tyrannical and overly ambitious leader in Caesar. Brutus' orchard soliloquy in Act 2 is evidence of the anti-Caesar sentiment that he harbors. He begins with a truncated sentence which also foreshadows future events - "It must be by his death." In attempting to justify Caesar's murder, Brutus uses a serpent's egg as a metaphor for Caesar and says that it would be wise to "kill him in the shell". Even though Brutus genuinely believes in his cause and deems it to be noble and for the greater good of Rome, he is blinded to the point of naivety and in all his self-righteousness, fails to discern Antony's true intentions.
Moments after stabbing Caesar, Brutus personifies ambition in "Ambition's debt is paid" which conveys his motives to the audience. His speech immediately following Caesar's death also reveals his perspective on the assassination. He uses a series of rhetorical questions "Had you rather Caesar was living.....or Caesar was dead, and live all freemen?" and "Who is here so base that would be a bondman?" to incite the crowd and to justify the need for his actions to them. Juxtaposition in "As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;...but as he was ambitious, I slew him" clearly show that he still firmly believes in his nobility of his cause and is supremely confident that he has done no wrong. Brutus' oratory thus conveys his perspective on the death of Caesar.
Pro-Caesar: Mark Antony's perspective on Caesar's assassination is in stark contrast to the conspirators'. Being astute and cunning, he shows no signs of hostility towards the conspirators in their presence but makes his sense of bereavement evident in his symbolic cry, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!". Emotive language and personification in his prophecy "That mothers shall but smile...their infants quartered with the hands of war" reveal how aggrieved he feels, and how strong his desire to wage a personal vendetta against the "butchers" is.
Antony's eulogy is successful is inciting the crowd and in making them adopt his perspective on Caesar's murder. In a cunningly crafted speech, he uses repetition of "Brutus is an honourable man", subtly hinting at the opposite. He uses a series of rhetorical questions, "Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?" and "Was this ambition?" to effectively convey his outrage at what Brutus cites as his motive, and to further inflame the crowd. Feigning his reluctance to read the will, he uses Caesar's corpse as a dramatic device to incite the crowd "Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed" and "This was the most unkindest cut of all". Thus his clever speech completely changes the crowd's perspective to match his own, nullifying Brutus' oratory. Rejoicing at his accomplishment he personifies mischief in "Take thou what course thou wilt!"
Anti-Bush: Gabriel Range's "Death of a President" portrays anti-Bush sentiment effectively through the protesters and the assassin, Al Claybon. Jerky camera movements, integrated with the sound of the protesters chanting, conveys a sense of unrest and opposition towards Bush. Use of voice-over during Sup.Greg Turner's description of the demonstrators as a "new breed" where "anything goes", as well as the use of archival footage add to the authenticity of the film.
The assassin, a grief-stricken Al Claybon, perceives Bush to be the cause of his son's death and feels justified in killing the President. Somber orchestral music and an emotional voice-over by his son further adds to the verisimilitude of the film.Emotive language in "no honor in dying for a lost cause" and "Bush killed our David and I will never forgive him" shows how his son's death rendered his life bereft of happiness, and reveal his perspective on why he felt Bush must be eliminated.
Pro-Bush: Condemnation of Bush's assassination in DoP is expressed through Cheney's eulogy as well as the implementation of strict new policies by an outraged American government led by Cheney. Slow brass music during Cheney's funeral oration emphasizes the gravity of the occasion. Cheney makes religious and spiritual allusions in his speech - "..knew God's purposes to be right and true" and "brought hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors and overcame evil with good" which reflect his respect and gratitude towards Bush.
However, like Mark Antony, Cheney opportunistically uses Bush's assassination for his own political purposes. The stirring background music when an amendment to the ironically named "Patriotic Act 3" is revealed, is symbolic of change, and shows Cheney's ruthlessness in the war against terror. Footage of Cheney in a military helicopter as well as that of the White House officials' poignant announcement revealing Zikri's arrest, are symbolic and herald the dawn of brutal new laws allegedly targeting home-grown radical groups. Thus the film shows that Cheney's perspective on Bush's death is strongly influenced by his political agendas.
Despite the conspirators' successful assassination of Caesar, ultimately, their defeat meant that Rome continued to be ruled by a dictator in Octavius. Antony acknowledges Brutus' nobility in "this was the noblest of them all" showing some indications of empathy. DoP meanwhile, concludes on a grim note. The epilogue or the credits at the end of the film reveal that Zikri remained in custody long after the real killer was found, and that FBI head McGuire resigned, perhaps a sign of protest. The texts show the consequences of the actions of people harboring different opinions, and how one perspective might not necessarily prevail over the other. Thus both texts effectively explore conflicting perspectives of the assassinations of President Bush and Julius Caesar.
Should I add in anything about consequences of the conflicting perspectives in my intro - Malhar I am very sorry - I did this at 7.30. Looking at the History, it didn't go through and I didn't check - until now. that's fine sir. i'm wide awake - Malhar
CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES Perspectives on events are shaped by both personal and political inclinations. Inevitably, individual’s perspectives will be in conflict. William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar and Gabriel Range's fictional documentary Death Of A President (2006) convey opposing perspectives towards the assassination of political leaders. Brutus and Antony are in conflict over the morality of killing a leader for the good of the nation. In the hypothetical shooting of George W Bush, the director presents conflicting views about Bush but the film’s main concern is the way his successor, Cheney, uses the investigation for his own political agenda.
Brutus’ perspective is that Caesar has become a tyrannical and overly ambitious leader. His orchard soliloquy in Act 2 expresses his dilemma. He begins with a truncated sentence which also foreshadows future events - "It must be by his death." In attempting to justify Caesar's murder, Brutus uses a serpent's egg as a metaphor for Caesar and says that it would be wise to "kill him in the shell". Even though Brutus genuinely believes in his cause and deems it to be noble and for the greater good of Rome, he is blinded to the point of naivety and in all his self-righteousness, fails to discern Antony's true intentions, which ultimately leads to the failure of the conspiracy.
Moments after stabbing Caesar, Brutus personifies ambition in "Ambition's debt is paid" which conveys his motives to the audience. His speech to the crowd immediately following Caesar's death also reveals his perspective on the assassination. He uses a series of rhetorical questions "Had you rather Caesar was living.....or Caesar was dead, and live all freemen?" and "Who is here so base that would be a bondman?" to incite the crowd and to justify the need for his actions to them. Juxtaposition in "As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;...but as he was ambitious, I slew him" clearly show that he still firmly believes in his nobility of his cause and is supremely confident that he has done no wrong. Brutus' oratory thus conveys his perspective on the death of Caesar.
Mark Antony's perspective on Caesar's assassination is in stark contrast to the conspirators'. Being astute and cunning, he shows no signs of hostility towards the conspirators in their presence but makes his sense of bereavement evident in his symbolic cry, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!". Emotive language and personification in his prophecy "That mothers shall but smile...their infants quartered with the hands of war" reveal how aggrieved he feels, and how strong is his desire to wage a personal vendetta against the "butchers".
Antony's eulogy is successful is inciting the crowd and in making them adopt his perspective on Caesar's murder. In a cunningly crafted speech, he uses repetition of "Brutus is an honourable man", subtly hinting at the opposite. He uses a series of rhetorical questions, "Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?" and "Was this ambition?" to effectively convey his outrage at what Brutus cites as his motive, and to further inflame the crowd. Feigning his reluctance to read the will, he uses Caesar's corpse as a dramatic device to incite the crowd "Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed" and "This was the most unkindest cut of all". Thus his clever speech completely changes the crowd's perspective to match his own, nullifying Brutus' oratory. Rejoicing at his accomplishment he personifies mischief in "Take thou what course thou wilt!"
In the fictional documentary Death of a President, the director Gabriel Range blends archival footage of politicians and demonstrators, interviews and voice overs of fictional journalists, advisors and investigators and non-diegetic sombre music to portray the motives ad consequences of the hypothetical shooting of President GW Bush. Anti-Bush perspectives are shown through protesters, with jerky, point of view camera work, real footage of street political demonstrators chanting, holding banners and clashing with police and diegetic soundtrack of sirens, chanting and screams. This creates a sense of authenticity and credibility, as does the use of voice over and interviews, for example with Chicago police chief describing the demonstrators as a ‘new breed’ for whom ‘anything goes’.
The assassin, eventually revealed as a grief-stricken Al Claybon,a former Iraq soldier, perceives Bush to be the cause of his son's death and feels justified in killing the President. Unlike the conspirators, there was no motive for a greater good; this murder was based on anger and revenge. This personal perspective is conveyed by an emotional voice-over by another son reading from his father’s letters: "no honour in dying for a lost cause" and "Bush killed our David and I will never forgive him".
The director carefully avoids showing any approval of the assassination, perhaps not wanting to antagonise or offend his audience. The funeral service and eulogy by the new President Cheney is presented with respectful gravitas through slow brass music, overhead camera footage of the cortege and crowds of mourners. Cheney makes religious and spiritual allusions in his oration - "..knew God's purposes to be right and true" and "brought hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors and overcame evil with good", reflecting respect and gratitude towards Bush.
However, like Mark Antony, Cheney opportunistically uses Bush's assassination for his own political purposes. Cheney is shown as willing to sacrifice justice for the wrongly convicted assassin, a Syrian Jamal Zikri, for the sake of a bogus link to ‘terrorism’. This becomes the justification for the ironically named "Patriotic Act 3", repressive new laws targeting allegedly home-grown radical groups. This underlying political agenda is shown through stirring militaristic background music when the amendment is announced, footage of Cheney in a military helicopter as well as that of the White House officials' poignant announcement revealing Zikri's arrest. THIS EVIDENCE CAN BE IMPROVED
Both texts show conflicting perspectives and outcomes for the assassinations of two national leaders. Despite the conspirators' successful assassination of Caesar, ultimately, their defeat meant that Rome continued to be ruled by a dictator in Octavius. Antony’s acknowledgement of Brutus "this was the noblest of them all" shows some sympathy for Brutus’ motives. The documentary concludes on a more grim note. The epilogue or the credits at the end of the film reveal that Zikri remained in custody long after the real killer was found and the repressive amendments became permanent law.
1045 words
SPEECHES: KEATING AND BANDLER
Word Choice: Paul Keating’s speech was delivered on a historically significant and poignant day – on the 75th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Great War in 1918. It’s main purpose was to pay homage and remember the men and women who lost their lives while serving Australia in wars. Keating’s clever choice of words in the speech is effective in uniting the nation while also remembering the sacrifices that so many Australians made for their country in wars at home and abroad. Keating begins the speech with a high modality declaration “We do not know....and we never will” to portray a sense of finality. He then uses anaphoric repetition of the phrase “We do not know” which lends emphasis to the fact that the Unknown Soldier is anonymous, and that he represents every Australian. However, his clever listing of what is unknown, “children, family, religion, whether he was married or single, whether he was from the city or the bush, previous occupation” which are the attributes that define a person, has the opposite effect, in that it creates an individuality and identity for the Unknown Soldier. His use of statistical data “100,000 Australians who have died in wars...” and emotive language to describe the Great War as a “mad, brutal, awful struggle” reflects his strongly negative attitude towards war. He appeals to the Pathos of the audience through highly emotive words, “horror, and tragedy...inexcusable folly” while also using a powerful verb in “transcends” to highlight a shift towards the positive. He uses contradiction to highlight the paradoxical lesson of “ordinary people....not ordinary” and listing to portray the qualities of endurance, courage, resilience, and self-belief of which the Unknown Soldier is the epitome. Symbolism is used by Keating to describe the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a “reminder of what we have lost” and paradoxically, “of what we have gained”. He uses repetition in “deeper faith” and “deeper understanding” to emphasise the inexorable importance of understanding “what it means to be Australian”. Religious imagery is used in his conclusion “sacrifice of men and women...faith enough for all of us” which sustains the importance of a deeper lesson that transcends the costs of war. Thus PJ Keating’s choice of words is effective in portraying the message and satisfying the aim of the speech.
The main purpose of Paul Keating’s speech, along with paying homage and respect to Australian soldiers who lost their lives in wars, is to unite the nation and emphasise the importance of the ANZAC legend. Keating’s use of inclusive language throughout the speech is an ideal means of achieving this end.
Keating begins with an inclusive pronoun in “we do not know” to set the tone for the rest of the speech. Anaphoric repetition in “we do not know” is used to emphasise the anonymity of the Unknown Soldier and highlight that the anonymity makes him representative of every Australian. Already, this inclusive tone has the effect of establishing a unifying connection between him and the audience.
A truncated inclusive sentence is used by Keating “And he is one of us” to highlight that the Unknown Soldier is Australian, he is part of the ANZAC legacy. After using emotive language to condemn the war and its instigators in “political incompetence” and “waste of human life”, he invites the audience to consider the significance of the Unknown Soldier in the light of the costs of war. He returns to using personal inclusive pronouns in “our war dead...this is not true” to assert they did not die in vain. Keating declares that the legacy of the Unknown Soldier has taught Australians to collectively learn the importance of courage, resilience and self-belief. He attempts to unite the Australian people under the ANZAC legend, by listing highly emotive qualities such as “triumph against the odds”, courage, “ingenuity in adversity”, “mateship” that comprise the “democratic tradition” of the nation.
He uses contradiction and inclusive language in “what we have lost and what we have gained” to portray that the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is symbolic of the sacrifices made by the soldiers and to unite the nation in remembering and paying respect to Australia’s “war dead”. His use of colloquialisms in “bonds of mateship” and “stick together” also successfully creates a sense of unity and enables him to get his message across more effectively to the audience. Thus his use of inclusive language is successful in getting his message across.
Lasting effect:
Paul Keating’s speech reflects several ideals and beliefs that have a lasting effect on the audience. It has an enduring value that transcends the one time and place when the speech was made.
In his speech, Keating creates a sense of national identity through the Unknown Soldier by listing his qualities which “taught us” to “endure hardship, show courage, be bold as well as resilient”. According to him, this leads to a “deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian.” He successfully unites the audience under the legend of the ANZAC and highlights that it is their legacy that moulds the Australian character. Ideals such as “triumphs against the odds”, “courage”, ingenuity in adversity” and “bonds of mateship” are embodied by the Unknown Soldier, and it is to him that real “nobility and grandeur” belong. His portrayal of national identity and “democratic tradition” resonate even today as values such as mateship, loyalty, courage and a never-say-die attitude are held in high esteem by Australian society.
Throughout the speech, Keating also highlights his negative attitude towards war, with emotive words such as “awful, mad, and brutal” and condemns the “political incompetence” that gives rise to conflict. Spiritual allusions in “enshrine a nation’s love for peace...sacrifice of men” highlight the lesson which transcends the costs of war. On the other hand, the validity of that conclusion can be questioned in today’s context seeing the number of wars Australia has been involved in since then.
Another enduring ideal from the speech is the capability of “ordinary” people to be heroes which Keating emphasises in the paradoxical lesson “about ordinary people...they were not ordinary”. This in particular resonates with today’s audience since it is an inspiring, motivational ideal – that every person has in them what it takes to be a hero.
Thus Keating’s speech, and the ideals and values in it have a lasting effect on Australian society.
Similarities:
The themes – justice, identity, both call for remembrance, calls for unity.
Differences: Bandler more colloquial, anecdotal, personal. More confrontational, calls for action rather than just remembrance.
I plan to expand on those ideas....and will write more about Bandler in this one. Does that sound all right? Also, how should you start and conclude the first three 5 mark answers? Essay style or just one introductory and concluding statement?
Speeches reflect great and provocative ideas that are often appropriate to personal and historical context. Through the use oratorical and rhetorical techniques, speakers use their speeches as a conduit to express ideas and views on issues that they feel passionate about. Speeches often cover extensive, significant and provocative topics closely associated with ideals such as equality, justice, freedom, reconciliation, remembrance and the role of individuals in world events. Use of oratorical, rhetorical and literary techniques is essential for various speakers to ensure that their audience comprehends the issues mentioned in the speech, as well as respond to the provocative ideas that underpin them. Speeches by Margaret Atwood, Aung San Suu Kyi and Paul Keating are all effective in their portrayal of great and thought-provoking ideas.
Margaret Atwood’s oratorical and literary genius is evident in her speech “Spotty-Handed Villainesses”. The speech revolved around the role of females in literature and challenges the established stereotypes, which according to Atwood, do not encapsulate what she deems the “complexity” and “many-dimensionality” of the female character. Her allusion to famous literary figures and their work suggests a well-educated audience. Also, in the context of this speech, a majority of the audience were likely to be female as evidenced by Atwood’s boldness in breaching the ‘once forbidden but now red-hot topic of the Menopause.’
Her clever use of various techniques is effective in ensuring that the audience understands and responds to the provocative ideas she mentions. At the beginning of the speech, she appeals to the Ethos of the audience through humour ‘took...great significance – after all, I had curls’ highlighting that female ‘bad behaviour’ is under-represented in lyric poems.
She uses a series of rhetorical questions – ‘Isn’t bad behaviour supposed to be the monopoly of men?’ and ‘Isn’t that what we – in defiance of real life – are somehow supposed to believe, now?’ – to establish her main concerns. Her playful, flippant tone engages the audience and underpins the overall informal voice throughout the speech. Atwood’s use of a truncated sentence at the end of the speech ‘In us’ highlights her main idea in the speech – that novels must reflect reality, especially in the context of female bad behaviour – if they are to have any meaning. Thus Atwood effectively uses oratorical and rhetorical techniques that help us to understand the provocative ideas in the speech and see through the facade of flippancy and digression, to the central theme of her speech – female representation in literature.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s keynote address deals with the empowerment and emancipation of women, and their role in the ‘global village’. In stark contrast to Atwood’s speech, she uses a grave, sombre tone that appeals to the Pathos of the audience. Her personal milieu is evident in the opening paragraph of her speech. Juxtaposition in ‘wonderful but daunting’ highlights this and appeals to the Ethos of the audience, explaining her inability to personally attend after her release from house arrest.
Sun Kyi’s use of rhetorical techniques is very effective in conveying the great ideas in her speech. She uses inclusive language ‘we’ and ‘us’ to engage the audience and evoke a response from them. Her use of symbolism through the Burmese proverb, ‘It crows to welcome the light’ emphasises how she feels that ‘bringing light is not the prerogative of men.’ This extended metaphor of light is used to signify freedom from ‘want’ and ‘war’, which Kyi feels are essential. Her use of personification and emotive language in ‘shackles of prejudice and intolerance’ convey that overcoming these is the collective aim of her actions. She also uses personal, emotive sentences – ‘To my knowledge, no war has ever been started by women’, to convey that due to the ‘nurturing, protecting, caring’ innate qualities in women, the world would be more peaceful place were it run by them. Thus Sun Kyi’s use of oratorical and literary techniques is vital in effectively portraying her message for us to understand and consequently respond to.
While the above speeches deal with feminism and similar issues, some speeches aim to evoke a collective response in the audience for a noble cause. Paul Keating’s “Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier” achieves this through its clever use of oratorical and rhetorical techniques to appeal to the Pathos of the audience, effectively evoking a response from them. The context of the speech, Remembrance Day, is significant and underpins the message behind Keating’s speech. Keating’s use of anaphora in the phrase ‘We do not know’ conveys that in spite of the soldier being faceless, his national identity is significant to the nation as a whole.
He uses inclusive language and a grave tone to engage the audience. His clever use of statistical data and repetition in ‘one of the 45,000 Australians who died on the Western Front’ and ‘One of the 100,000 Australians who have died in wars in this country’ again appeals to the Pathos of the audience and conveys his perspective of war itself. His paradoxical lesson ‘It is a lesson about ordinary people – and the lesson is they are not ordinary’ emphasises the significance of the sacrifice and courage of the Unknown Soldier. He uses symbolism to describe the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as ‘a reminder of what we have lost and what we have gained’ to convey the great idea of national identity and unity under the ANZAC legend. Thus Keating’s efficient use of oratorical techniques enables the audience to understand, relate with and respond to the great ideas mentioned in the speech.
All three speeches are thus effective in enabling the audience to understand and respond to the great and provocative ideas mentioned in the speeches.
this was the exact essay i wrote for the trial exam. so it answers the trial exam question. what changes do i need to make? (apart from not writing empty sentences) and also, which two speeches would be best to use? thanks mr.warren.
Short Introduction (both texts)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" and Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love and relationships. They also reflect on hope, which is the essence of the strength that Browning and Gatsby draw upon in the texts. Browning's sonnets were molded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, "The Great Gatsby" is also influenced by its context of the Jazz Age and Age of Prohibition, and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. Browning's sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that was considered almost too good to be true. However, her ideals are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, "The Great Gatsby" also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, tainted by the corruption of the American Dream.
Gatsby-Daisy Relationship
Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" portrays, amongst other things, Jay Gatsby's 'extraordinary gift for hope' which sees him go to incredible lengths to get the woman of his dreams.
Hope is symbolized in the novel by the recurrent motif of the green light, something that Nick notices Gatsby 'stretching his arm out towards....trembling'. The green light is also symbolic of the past, something intangible; something Gatsby can see, but cannot grasp. In an audacious attempt to recreate the past and lure Daisy, Gatsby purchases a sprawling mansion (particularly in knowledge of the proximity of the Buchanan residence) and throws parties that reek of richness and superficiality. Can tweek this expression. Doesn't read quite right Fitzgerald comments on the shallowness of the rich in the 1920s context of the American society, while also hinting that Gatsby's wealth was accumulated by illicit means, not adhering to the ideals of the American Dream. However, the futility of Gatsby's efforts force him to set up a direct meeting with Daisy. Ironically, Gatsby does recreate the past. So close to making his all-consuming fantasy reality, Daisy chooses to go back with her husband Tom. Her staunch refusal to say the words "I never loved you" to her husband are indicative of the affinity that years of marriage with Tom had resulted in.Good stufff but I can't quite see what your main point is in this paragraph. Hope and his yearning search for Daisy - I get that from the 1st sentence. The 2nd half - the futility of his efforts - seems to drift away and focus on Daisy rather then Gatsby
The ambiguity of Daisy's and Gatsby's intentions is also evident in this novel. Gatsby is reassured by Daisy's admission "You know I love you"
but is thwarted at the final hurdle, when, in his confrontation with Tom Buchanan, Daisy refuses to say "I never loved you" to her husband. She chooses the comfort and luxury bought with the Buchanan's' old money, leaving Gatsby out in the cold. I presume you are wanting to make some comment about the shallow, self-serving nature of love for Daisy. That's a good point but I'd aim for a more thorough discussion
Gatsby's obsession is his pursuit of Daisy and all his actions revolve around this goal. But when he does get her, he is unsure of his own feelings. In a single moment, all his zeal for life that Nick describes as his "incredible gift for hope" vanishes. Their relationship is greatly diminished by the fact that Gatsby isn't in love with Daisy, but with what she represents. Gatsby doesn't really know Daisy, and this lack of real, tangible roots in their relationship suggest that, to him, she is nothing but a fantasy that he must have at all costs. This is evident in Nick's observation, "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams". Nicely said. This ties in well with hope at the top. Try to examine the whole unrealistic yearning of Gatsby on some expressed understanding of love and hope. What does she represent for him that her pursues her with such zeal?
However, in spite of losing Daisy for a second time, Gatsby watches over the Buchanan residence for fear of what the aggressive Tom might do to Daisy upon learning of her "affair". That there was some authenticity in their relationship is indubitable - proof being Gatsby's final act of claiming responsibility for a crime that Daisy commits. Meanwhile, Daisy retreats back to her life of luxury with Tom, her reputation unblemished, leaving as Nick puts it, "others to clean up the mess". This goes with the Daisy stuff 2 paragraphs up. Careful of slipping into recount.
So you have: (1) Gatsby's devoted search, based on illusion, and (2) Daisy as shallow, self-serving and so on. Daisy is fairly simple to 'get'. Gatsby less so and requires more concept- building - about the nature of love he represents
EBB Sonnets - Body Paragraph
EBB's sonnets reflect varying types of love. Sonnet 1 portrays the transforming nature of love and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the first quatrain, Browning's allusion to the Greek poet Theocritus informs the reader of how she feels that "a gift for mortals" has eluded her. Her repetition and alliteration ? in "sweet, sad years, the melancholy years" emphasizes the monotonicity not a word I have heard of - emphasises how she only felt fully alive once she met ... My expression not terribly convincing either of her life until she meets met Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - "had flung/ A shadow across me. " at the beginning of the sestet reveal that Browning is resigned to the fact that nothing other than Death awaits her in future. However, she is pleasantly (seems too lame - utterly or completely maybe) surprised to find that "the silver answer" is "Not Death, but Love". This sonnet is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB's life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.
SO YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS POINT LOOKS LIKE:(with my alterations in the 2nd paragraph)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" and Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love and relationships. They also reflect on hope, which is the essence of the strength that Browning and Gatsby draw upon in the texts. Browning's sonnets were molded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, "The Great Gatsby" is also influenced by its context of the Jazz Age and Age of Prohibition, and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. Browning's sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that was considered almost too good to be true. However, her ideals are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, "The Great Gatsby" also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, tainted by the corruption of the American Dream.
EBB's sonnets reflect varying types of love. Sonnet 1 portrays the transforming nature of love and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the first quatrain, Browning's allusion to the Greek poet Theocritus informs the reader of how she feels that "a gift for mortals" has eluded her. Her repetition and alliteration in "sweet, sad years, the melancholy years" emphasises how she only felt fully alive once she met Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - "had flung/ A shadow across me. " at the beginning of the sestet reveal that Browning is resigned to the fact that nothing other than Death awaits her in future. However, she is utterly to find that "the silver answer" is "Not Death, but Love". This sonnet is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB's life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.
Don't forget context has to go in here. And our whole lead-in to types of love. Are you satisfied with sonnet 1? You might find even this is too much. How many sonnets do you want to refer in this authentic love section? Keep drafting; worry about editing back later.
TEXTS IN TIME ESSAY
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. Portrayal of social and historical contexts in different texts play a vital role in upholding the value of the texts over a number of years. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (1925) are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love, relationships and the strength that hope instils. EBB's sonnets were moulded by the values of the Victorian era in the 1840s and are consequently repressed in their expression of physical aspects of love. Similarly, Fitzgerald was also influenced by the social atmosphere in the wake of the Great War, and "The Great Gatsby" contains undercurrents of the values and norms of the Jazz Age and era of Prohibition and explores the superficial guise that love can assume. EBB unwittingly expressed her deep love for Robert Browning in the form of sonnets, which were not originally intended for publication. Her sonnets are based on ideal love - a pure and untainted form, one that is almost too good to be true, one that is sublime. However, her ideas are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, TGG also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, something tainted by the corruption of the American Dream. Fitzgerald also comments on how the authenticity of love was compromised due to the greedy and materialistic outlook of people in the aftermath of World War 1. Both texts are extremely effective in their portrayal of differing forms of love in their respective contexts.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” explore various attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature. EBB portrays authentic love as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. Her sonnets reflect not only her personal milieu, but also the social context of the 1840s. Being a reclusive invalid, EBB’s chances of finding a lasting relationship based on authentic personal love seemed minimal – a fact compounded by her father’s absurd determination to leave out of the will any of his children who dared to get married. EBB’s Methodist faith and well-rounded classical education are both reflected in her sonnets. In the patriarchal Victorian society of the early 19th century, people had an extremely pragmatic attitude towards marriage and considered it to be a business venture, undertaken with economic stability and status in the foreground. EBB in contrast, places true love higher up the hierarchy and openly expresses her emotions in her sonnets. However, expressions of sexual aspects of love are repressed in accordance with the norms of the social context. EBB’s portrayal of the aspects of true love in her sonnets thus challenges as well as upholds the values and morals of the 1840s Victorian society.
Sonnet 1 from EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” (I think EBB is an acceptable abbreviation but you don't have to keep repeating 'Sonnets from the Portuguese') portrays the transforming nature of love, and the warmth and hope that it brings. In the opening quatrain, Browning’s allusion to the “ancient tongue” of the Greek poet Theocritus informs the readers of how she feels “a gift for mortals” has eluded her. The repetition in “sweet years, the dear and wished for years” emphasises that they are things of the past now and that her future is extremely bleak. In the second quatrain, her use of repetition in, “sweet, sad years, the melancholy years” highlight the monotonicity of her life until she meets Robert Browning. Enjambment and caesura - “had flung// A shadow across me” ( single backslash for end of a line; double backslash for the caesura; include the fullstop) - at the beginning of the sestet convey that Browning is resigned to the fact nothing but Death awaits her in future. But she is utterly surprised to find that “the silver answer” is “Not Death, but Love”. Her personal context is evident in this sonnet, which is a representation of how love was the transforming agent in EBB’s life and how it provided her with a renewed purpose and incentive for living.In stark contrast to Browning, F. Scott Fitzgerald went some way to showing how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age through his novel “The Great Gatsby”. The social atmosphere in the 1920s was very different to the backdrop of the Victorian era and different values and morals are evident in the novel. TGG explores the ideal of love in very different ways to EBB’s sonnets. The 1920s was a decade of great prosperity and gung-ho (too colloquial) attitudes to life were rife among society. Weakening of religion and a surge in people (esp. women) apathetic to traditional American morals led to a revolutionised public outlook and prompted Fitzgerald to coin the term “Jazz Age” to signify that anything was possible. Superficiality, materialism and greed are terms that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and explored them in his novel TGG, questioning whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences. Fitzgerald’s personal context was also an important influence in TGG. His difficult marriage to Zelda and his desperate bid to maintain his celebrity status in New York was worsened by the fact that he was in dire financial straits. Gatsby’s early lifestyle is reminiscent of Fitzgerald’s own and has obvious parallels with the latter’s life. “The Great Gatsby” was thus shaped by social and personal contexts and effectively challenges the ideal of true love, or authentic love as mentioned in EBB’s sonnets. Very good. Much of the change in values in the 1920s came about in the aftermath of the carnage of WW1 - worth bringing in, I think).
Looking at this, you could consider referring to 2 sonnets but in less detail than you do this one. 'Texts in time' is similar to Area of Study in that we are linking texts to shared content and ideas. The depth and detail you include is more like a close study. Your context material is very well written. Nonetheless, you may have to reduce it. See how you go for time and length and balance. Or, spread it out by linking some parts of your material to specific textual references. For example, experiment with bringing in Zelda when discussing Tom and Daisy, or the materialism and greed (or traditional American morals) when discussing the absence of spiritual values in the novel.
I know you are still composing, but at this point I'd say you are too heavy on context and rather light-on for textual evidence. You can make these decisions and adjustments when your 1st draft is done. Mr W
Not finished as yet - have to write the Gatsby bit and the conclusion - Malhar
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers . Portrayals of social and historical contexts in different texts play a vital role in upholding the value of the texts over a number of years. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (1925) are texts that both explore, albeit in contrasting ways, the nature of love, relationships and the strength that hope instils. Her sonnets are based on authentic love - a pure and untainted form, one that is almost too good to be true, and one that is sublime. However, her ideas are firmly rooted in a real, tangible relationship. In contrast, TGG also explores the coveted ideal of love, but portrays it as something intangible, something tainted by the corruption of the American Dream. Fitzgerald also comments on how the authenticity of love was compromised due to the greedy and materialistic outlook of people in the aftermath of World War 1. Both texts are extremely effective in their portrayal of differing forms of love in their respective contexts.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” explore various attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature. EBB portrays authentic love as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. In spite of society’s pragmatic attitudes towards marriage, EBB places true love higher up the hierarchy and her sonnets are admired for it. Sonnet 14 of EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” reflects EBB’s perspective on true love in the Victorian context as she differentiates between the attributes of true love and those of superficial love. EBB begins by openly accepting Robert’s love in “If thou must love me.” She goes on to challenge the courting conventions of her context, the 1840s Victorian era, in the opening quatrain – “Do not say I love her for her smile...her way of speaking gently”. Her use of an imperative “Do not say” also indicates her growing confidence in the relationship. Caesura and antithesis at the start of the sestet, “love so wrought, may be unwrought so”, emphasises the disillusionment of what love represents according to EBB and highlights the fickle, superficial nature of such love. Browning expresses her perception of the ideal form of love through use of repetition in “for love’s sake only” and says that this will last “through love’s eternity”. Thus Sonnet 14 portrays EBB’s perspective on the ideal of true love in the context of the 1840s Victorian era. In stark contrast to Browning, F. Scott Fitzgerald went some way to showing how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age through his novel “The Great Gatsby”. TGG explores the ideal of love in very different ways to EBB’s sonnets. Superficiality, materialism and greed are terms that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and explored them in his novel TGG, questioning whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences.
In TGG, the relationship between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan demonstrates that, unlike the intimate personal love in EBB’s sonnets, love that is based on an idealised past and fantasy is destined for failure. Gatsby employs his “extraordinary gift for hope”, which is symbolised by the recurrent motif of the green light, in the pursuit of, not Daisy, but what she represents. That he sees her as a prize or a fantasy that he must have at all costs is evident through the narrator Nick Carraway’s revelation - “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy –it increased her value in his eyes.” Juxtaposed against Browning’s relationship, Gatsby and Daisy’s lack of trust for each other is evident. Even when Gatsby’s elaborate plans come to fruition, Nick reveals that “she tumbled short of his dreams”. This quote conveys that all the zest that Gatsby had for life is all lost in the single moment when he meets Daisy and “the significance of the green light is lost forever”. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of morals in the context of the Jazz Age through Nick who states that “(Gatsby) took her ravenously and unscrupulously when he had no right to lay hands on her”, portraying that the foundation of the relationship was devoid of trust and truthfulness. This is in stark contrast to Browning’s relationship with Robert, where the honesty they share is so deep that it induces vulnerability in Browning. Thus, Fitzgerald’s perspective on the ideals of love in the context of post WW1 America is effectively conveyed through Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship in “the Great Gatsby”. Sonnet 43 of EBB’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” is evidence of the spiritual dimension of EBB’s relationship, an aspect that is quintessential in a relationship based on true love and intimacy. Browning commences the sonnet with a rhetorical, “How do I love thee?” indicative of an answer in the offing. Repetition in “I love thee” highlights the qualities of passion, freedom and purity that EBB attributes to a love that transcends superficial boundaries. She makes an allusion to religious beliefs in the sestet, indicating her Methodist faith – “with the love I seemed to lose/ with my lost saints.” Rigid rhyme scheme in the sonnet – “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ My soul can reach” reflects on the conventions of the Petrarchan form employed and intensifies the spiritual values of the authentic love she shares with Robert Browning. EBB’s apathy to society’s pragmatic marital attitudes was well received by the Victorian people, as her sonnets embodied true love. Fitzgerald meanwhile highlights the lack of spiritual values in the Jazz Age through Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s relationship. Strong characterization is used effectively in the novel to convey this. Tom openly admits to having an affair as is evident in the quotes “I want you to see my girl” and “I go off on a spree, but I always come back”. However, his ruthlessness, selfishness and infidelity are condoned by Daisy since she wants the luxurious lifestyle that Tom provides. Fitzgerald comments on shallowness through Jordan who reveals “Next day at five o’ clock (Daisy) married (Tom) without so much as a shiver.” Ironically, their relationship is the only one that survives. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of spiritual values through Nick when he describes Tom and Daisy as “people that smashed things up...and let other people clean up the mess they made”.
Both texts successfully convey their composers’ perspective of the values and types of love present in their respective contexts.
Rather than insert comments, I have copied and reworked. Still a work in progress. Mr W
Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. These contexts shape how enduring values and ideas are expressed over different times. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (EBB) "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (TGG) (1925) both explore the nature of love and hope it instils. Browning’s sonnets were influenced by her response to Victorian values and her personal milieu as a spinster in mid life with a dominating father. They are based on authentic love – focused on her real, tangible lover Robert and that is underpinned by both Christian religious faith and Platonic ideals. Composed 70 years later after the Great War, TGG explores the coveted ideal of love and questions whether it is possible in 1920s America when the ideals of the American Dream have been corrupted. Fitzgerald critiques the society of the ‘lost generation’ and ‘Jazz age’ with its predominant greedy and materialistic outlook of people. The novel is also influenced by his personal context of pursuing and marrying the wealthy socialite Zelda Sayre.
Browning’s Sonnets portrays attributes of authentic love and its transforming nature, as something intimate shared between two people, an embodiment of trust, love, and acceptance. Although Victorian society often held pragmatic attitudes towards marriage – for social and economic advantage - EBB valued true love more highly her sonnets are admired for it. In Sonnet 14 she differentiates between the attributes of true love and superficial love. She opens by, for the first time in the sonnets, embracing Robert’s love in “If thou must love me.” She challenges the courting conventions of 1840s Victorian era, in the opening quatrain – “Do not say I love her for her smile...her way of speaking gently”. Her use of an imperative “Do not say” also indicates her growing confidence in the relationship. Caesura and antithesis at the start of the sestet, “love so wrought, may be unwrought so”, highlights the fickle, superficial nature of such love. Browning expresses her perception of the ideal form of love through use of repetition in “for love’s sake only” and says that this will last “through love’s eternity”.
By contrast, Fitzgerald showed how true love was not possible in the context of the Jazz Age. Superficiality, materialism and greed are conditions that Fitzgerald associated with his social context and questioned whether the ideal of authentic love could withstand these negative influences. The relationship between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan demonstrates that, unlike the intimate personal love in EBB’s sonnets, love that is based on an idealised past and fantasy is destined for failure. Gatsby employs his “extraordinary gift for hope”, which is symbolised by the recurrent motif of the green light, in the pursuit of, not Daisy, but what she represents. That he sees her as a prize or a fantasy that he must have at all costs is evident through the narrator Nick Carraway’s revelation - “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy –it increased her value in his eyes.” Juxtaposed against Browning’s relationship, Gatsby and Daisy’s lack of trust for each other is evident. Even when Gatsby’s elaborate plans come to fruition, Nick reveals that “she tumbled short of his dreams”. This implied that all the zest that Gatsby had for life was lost in the single moment when he met Daisy and “the significance of the green light is lost forever”.
Fitzgerald comments on the lack of morals in the context of the Jazz Age through Nick who states that “(Gatsby) took her ravenously and unscrupulously when he had no right to lay hands on her”, portraying that the foundation of the relationship was devoid of trust and truthfulness. This is in stark contrast to Browning’s relationship with Robert, where the honesty they share is so deep that it induces vulnerability in Browning.
Sonnet 43 is evidence of a spiritual dimension to love, an aspect that, for Browning, is essential for a relationship to be based on true love and intimacy. The rhetorical opening “How do I love thee?” prepares for a litany of ethereal, spiritual qualities. Repetition in “I love thee” highlights the qualities of passion, freedom and purity that transcend superficial boundaries. An allusion to religious beliefs in the sestet, indicates her Methodist faith – “with the love I seemed to lose/ with my lost saints.” The iambic pentameter of the Petrarchan sonnet form – “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ My soul can reach” creates a tight discipline that intensifies the spiritual values and Platonic ideals of the authentic love she shares with Robert Browning. However, in the aftermath of the carnage and loss of faith of WW1, Fitzgerald highlights the lack of spiritual values in the Jazz Age through Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s relationship. Strong characterization is used effectively in the novel to convey this. Tom openly admits to having an affair: “I want you to see my girl” and “I go off on a spree, but I always come back”. However, his ruthlessness, selfishness and infidelity are condoned by Daisy since she wants the luxurious lifestyle that Tom provides. It is ironic that their relationship is the only one that survives. Fitzgerald comments on the lack of spiritual values through Nick when he describes Tom and Daisy as “people that smashed things up...and let other people clean up the mess they made”.
Both texts successfully convey their composers’ perspective of the values and types of love present in their respective contexts.
CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES
Intro: A person's view or opinion about someone or something is his/her perspective. Perspectives are shaped by various influences including culture, religion, education and political inclinations. Inevitably, different perspectives arise a result. Conflicting perspectives are evident in William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" and Gabriel Range's fictional documentary "Death Of A President". Both these texts convey the varying (and often opposing) perspectives of different characters on the assassination of political leaders in the respective texts. These texts effectively explore how the conflicting perspectives of different characters are a result of personal relationships or a sense of duty towards Caesar/Bush and are also motivated by personal and political agendas.
Anti-Caesar: Conflicting perspectives are portrayed in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" through the action and deeds of (in particular) Brutus and Mark Antony. The play employs dramatic techniques effectively to convey Brutus' perspective on what he considers to be a tyrannical and overly ambitious leader in Caesar. Brutus' orchard soliloquy in Act 2 is evidence of the anti-Caesar sentiment that he harbors. He begins with a truncated sentence which also foreshadows future events - "It must be by his death." In attempting to justify Caesar's murder, Brutus uses a serpent's egg as a metaphor for Caesar and says that it would be wise to "kill him in the shell". Even though Brutus genuinely believes in his cause and deems it to be noble and for the greater good of Rome, he is blinded to the point of naivety and in all his self-righteousness, fails to discern Antony's true intentions.
Moments after stabbing Caesar, Brutus personifies ambition in "Ambition's debt is paid" which conveys his motives to the audience. His speech immediately following Caesar's death also reveals his perspective on the assassination. He uses a series of rhetorical questions "Had you rather Caesar was living.....or Caesar was dead, and live all freemen?" and "Who is here so base that would be a bondman?" to incite the crowd and to justify the need for his actions to them. Juxtaposition in "As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;...but as he was ambitious, I slew him" clearly show that he still firmly believes in his nobility of his cause and is supremely confident that he has done no wrong. Brutus' oratory thus conveys his perspective on the death of Caesar.
Pro-Caesar: Mark Antony's perspective on Caesar's assassination is in stark contrast to the conspirators'. Being astute and cunning, he shows no signs of hostility towards the conspirators in their presence but makes his sense of bereavement evident in his symbolic cry, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!". Emotive language and personification in his prophecy "That mothers shall but smile...their infants quartered with the hands of war" reveal how aggrieved he feels, and how strong his desire to wage a personal vendetta against the "butchers" is.
Antony's eulogy is successful is inciting the crowd and in making them adopt his perspective on Caesar's murder. In a cunningly crafted speech, he uses repetition of "Brutus is an honourable man", subtly hinting at the opposite. He uses a series of rhetorical questions, "Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?" and "Was this ambition?" to effectively convey his outrage at what Brutus cites as his motive, and to further inflame the crowd. Feigning his reluctance to read the will, he uses Caesar's corpse as a dramatic device to incite the crowd "Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed" and "This was the most unkindest cut of all". Thus his clever speech completely changes the crowd's perspective to match his own, nullifying Brutus' oratory. Rejoicing at his accomplishment he personifies mischief in "Take thou what course thou wilt!"
Anti-Bush: Gabriel Range's "Death of a President" portrays anti-Bush sentiment effectively through the protesters and the assassin, Al Claybon. Jerky camera movements, integrated with the sound of the protesters chanting, conveys a sense of unrest and opposition towards Bush. Use of voice-over during Sup.Greg Turner's description of the demonstrators as a "new breed" where "anything goes", as well as the use of archival footage add to the authenticity of the film.
The assassin, a grief-stricken Al Claybon, perceives Bush to be the cause of his son's death and feels justified in killing the President. Somber orchestral music and an emotional voice-over by his son further adds to the verisimilitude of the film.Emotive language in "no honor in dying for a lost cause" and "Bush killed our David and I will never forgive him" shows how his son's death rendered his life bereft of happiness, and reveal his perspective on why he felt Bush must be eliminated.
Pro-Bush: Condemnation of Bush's assassination in DoP is expressed through Cheney's eulogy as well as the implementation of strict new policies by an outraged American government led by Cheney. Slow brass music during Cheney's funeral oration emphasizes the gravity of the occasion. Cheney makes religious and spiritual allusions in his speech - "..knew God's purposes to be right and true" and "brought hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors and overcame evil with good" which reflect his respect and gratitude towards Bush.
However, like Mark Antony, Cheney opportunistically uses Bush's assassination for his own political purposes. The stirring background music when an amendment to the ironically named "Patriotic Act 3" is revealed, is symbolic of change, and shows Cheney's ruthlessness in the war against terror. Footage of Cheney in a military helicopter as well as that of the White House officials' poignant announcement revealing Zikri's arrest, are symbolic and herald the dawn of brutal new laws allegedly targeting home-grown radical groups. Thus the film shows that Cheney's perspective on Bush's death is strongly influenced by his political agendas.
Despite the conspirators' successful assassination of Caesar, ultimately, their defeat meant that Rome continued to be ruled by a dictator in Octavius. Antony acknowledges Brutus' nobility in "this was the noblest of them all" showing some indications of empathy. DoP meanwhile, concludes on a grim note. The epilogue or the credits at the end of the film reveal that Zikri remained in custody long after the real killer was found, and that FBI head McGuire resigned, perhaps a sign of protest. The texts show the consequences of the actions of people harboring different opinions, and how one perspective might not necessarily prevail over the other. Thus both texts effectively explore conflicting perspectives of the assassinations of President Bush and Julius Caesar.
Should I add in anything about consequences of the conflicting perspectives in my intro - Malhar
I am very sorry - I did this at 7.30. Looking at the History, it didn't go through and I didn't check - until now.
that's fine sir. i'm wide awake - Malhar
CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES
Perspectives on events are shaped by both personal and political inclinations. Inevitably, individual’s perspectives will be in conflict. William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar and Gabriel Range's fictional documentary Death Of A President (2006) convey opposing perspectives towards the assassination of political leaders. Brutus and Antony are in conflict over the morality of killing a leader for the good of the nation. In the hypothetical shooting of George W Bush, the director presents conflicting views about Bush but the film’s main concern is the way his successor, Cheney, uses the investigation for his own political agenda.
Brutus’ perspective is that Caesar has become a tyrannical and overly ambitious leader. His orchard soliloquy in Act 2 expresses his dilemma. He begins with a truncated sentence which also foreshadows future events - "It must be by his death." In attempting to justify Caesar's murder, Brutus uses a serpent's egg as a metaphor for Caesar and says that it would be wise to "kill him in the shell". Even though Brutus genuinely believes in his cause and deems it to be noble and for the greater good of Rome, he is blinded to the point of naivety and in all his self-righteousness, fails to discern Antony's true intentions, which ultimately leads to the failure of the conspiracy.
Moments after stabbing Caesar, Brutus personifies ambition in "Ambition's debt is paid" which conveys his motives to the audience. His speech to the crowd immediately following Caesar's death also reveals his perspective on the assassination. He uses a series of rhetorical questions "Had you rather Caesar was living.....or Caesar was dead, and live all freemen?" and "Who is here so base that would be a bondman?" to incite the crowd and to justify the need for his actions to them. Juxtaposition in "As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;...but as he was ambitious, I slew him" clearly show that he still firmly believes in his nobility of his cause and is supremely confident that he has done no wrong. Brutus' oratory thus conveys his perspective on the death of Caesar.
Mark Antony's perspective on Caesar's assassination is in stark contrast to the conspirators'. Being astute and cunning, he shows no signs of hostility towards the conspirators in their presence but makes his sense of bereavement evident in his symbolic cry, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!". Emotive language and personification in his prophecy "That mothers shall but smile...their infants quartered with the hands of war" reveal how aggrieved he feels, and how strong is his desire to wage a personal vendetta against the "butchers".
Antony's eulogy is successful is inciting the crowd and in making them adopt his perspective on Caesar's murder. In a cunningly crafted speech, he uses repetition of "Brutus is an honourable man", subtly hinting at the opposite. He uses a series of rhetorical questions, "Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?" and "Was this ambition?" to effectively convey his outrage at what Brutus cites as his motive, and to further inflame the crowd. Feigning his reluctance to read the will, he uses Caesar's corpse as a dramatic device to incite the crowd "Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed" and "This was the most unkindest cut of all". Thus his clever speech completely changes the crowd's perspective to match his own, nullifying Brutus' oratory. Rejoicing at his accomplishment he personifies mischief in "Take thou what course thou wilt!"
In the fictional documentary Death of a President, the director Gabriel Range blends archival footage of politicians and demonstrators, interviews and voice overs of fictional journalists, advisors and investigators and non-diegetic sombre music to portray the motives ad consequences of the hypothetical shooting of President GW Bush. Anti-Bush perspectives are shown through protesters, with jerky, point of view camera work, real footage of street political demonstrators chanting, holding banners and clashing with police and diegetic soundtrack of sirens, chanting and screams. This creates a sense of authenticity and credibility, as does the use of voice over and interviews, for example with Chicago police chief describing the demonstrators as a ‘new breed’ for whom ‘anything goes’.
The assassin, eventually revealed as a grief-stricken Al Claybon,a former Iraq soldier, perceives Bush to be the cause of his son's death and feels justified in killing the President. Unlike the conspirators, there was no motive for a greater good; this murder was based on anger and revenge. This personal perspective is conveyed by an emotional voice-over by another son reading from his father’s letters: "no honour in dying for a lost cause" and "Bush killed our David and I will never forgive him".
The director carefully avoids showing any approval of the assassination, perhaps not wanting to antagonise or offend his audience. The funeral service and eulogy by the new President Cheney is presented with respectful gravitas through slow brass music, overhead camera footage of the cortege and crowds of mourners. Cheney makes religious and spiritual allusions in his oration - "..knew God's purposes to be right and true" and "brought hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors and overcame evil with good", reflecting respect and gratitude towards Bush.
However, like Mark Antony, Cheney opportunistically uses Bush's assassination for his own political purposes. Cheney is shown as willing to sacrifice justice for the wrongly convicted assassin, a Syrian Jamal Zikri, for the sake of a bogus link to ‘terrorism’. This becomes the justification for the ironically named "Patriotic Act 3", repressive new laws targeting allegedly home-grown radical groups. This underlying political agenda is shown through stirring militaristic background music when the amendment is announced, footage of Cheney in a military helicopter as well as that of the White House officials' poignant announcement revealing Zikri's arrest. THIS EVIDENCE CAN BE IMPROVED
Both texts show conflicting perspectives and outcomes for the assassinations of two national leaders. Despite the conspirators' successful assassination of Caesar, ultimately, their defeat meant that Rome continued to be ruled by a dictator in Octavius. Antony’s acknowledgement of Brutus "this was the noblest of them all" shows some sympathy for Brutus’ motives. The documentary concludes on a more grim note. The epilogue or the credits at the end of the film reveal that Zikri remained in custody long after the real killer was found and the repressive amendments became permanent law.
1045 words
SPEECHES: KEATING AND BANDLER
Word Choice:
Paul Keating’s speech was delivered on a historically significant and poignant day – on the 75th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Great War in 1918. It’s main purpose was to pay homage and remember the men and women who lost their lives while serving Australia in wars. Keating’s clever choice of words in the speech is effective in uniting the nation while also remembering the sacrifices that so many Australians made for their country in wars at home and abroad.
Keating begins the speech with a high modality declaration “We do not know....and we never will” to portray a sense of finality. He then uses anaphoric repetition of the phrase “We do not know” which lends emphasis to the fact that the Unknown Soldier is anonymous, and that he represents every Australian. However, his clever listing of what is unknown, “children, family, religion, whether he was married or single, whether he was from the city or the bush, previous occupation” which are the attributes that define a person, has the opposite effect, in that it creates an individuality and identity for the Unknown Soldier.
His use of statistical data “100,000 Australians who have died in wars...” and emotive language to describe the Great War as a “mad, brutal, awful struggle” reflects his strongly negative attitude towards war. He appeals to the Pathos of the audience through highly emotive words, “horror, and tragedy...inexcusable folly” while also using a powerful verb in “transcends” to highlight a shift towards the positive. He uses contradiction to highlight the paradoxical lesson of “ordinary people....not ordinary” and listing to portray the qualities of endurance, courage, resilience, and self-belief of which the Unknown Soldier is the epitome.
Symbolism is used by Keating to describe the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a “reminder of what we have lost” and paradoxically, “of what we have gained”. He uses repetition in “deeper faith” and “deeper understanding” to emphasise the inexorable importance of understanding “what it means to be Australian”. Religious imagery is used in his conclusion “sacrifice of men and women...faith enough for all of us” which sustains the importance of a deeper lesson that transcends the costs of war.
Thus PJ Keating’s choice of words is effective in portraying the message and satisfying the aim of the speech.
Inclusive language:
The main purpose of Paul Keating’s speech, along with paying homage and respect to Australian soldiers who lost their lives in wars, is to unite the nation and emphasise the importance of the ANZAC legend. Keating’s use of inclusive language throughout the speech is an ideal means of achieving this end.
Keating begins with an inclusive pronoun in “we do not know” to set the tone for the rest of the speech. Anaphoric repetition in “we do not know” is used to emphasise the anonymity of the Unknown Soldier and highlight that the anonymity makes him representative of every Australian. Already, this inclusive tone has the effect of establishing a unifying connection between him and the audience.
A truncated inclusive sentence is used by Keating “And he is one of us” to highlight that the Unknown Soldier is Australian, he is part of the ANZAC legacy. After using emotive language to condemn the war and its instigators in “political incompetence” and “waste of human life”, he invites the audience to consider the significance of the Unknown Soldier in the light of the costs of war. He returns to using personal inclusive pronouns in “our war dead...this is not true” to assert they did not die in vain. Keating declares that the legacy of the Unknown Soldier has taught Australians to collectively learn the importance of courage, resilience and self-belief. He attempts to unite the Australian people under the ANZAC legend, by listing highly emotive qualities such as “triumph against the odds”, courage, “ingenuity in adversity”, “mateship” that comprise the “democratic tradition” of the nation.
He uses contradiction and inclusive language in “what we have lost and what we have gained” to portray that the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is symbolic of the sacrifices made by the soldiers and to unite the nation in remembering and paying respect to Australia’s “war dead”. His use of colloquialisms in “bonds of mateship” and “stick together” also successfully creates a sense of unity and enables him to get his message across more effectively to the audience. Thus his use of inclusive language is successful in getting his message across.
Lasting effect:
Paul Keating’s speech reflects several ideals and beliefs that have a lasting effect on the audience. It has an enduring value that transcends the one time and place when the speech was made.
In his speech, Keating creates a sense of national identity through the Unknown Soldier by listing his qualities which “taught us” to “endure hardship, show courage, be bold as well as resilient”. According to him, this leads to a “deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian.” He successfully unites the audience under the legend of the ANZAC and highlights that it is their legacy that moulds the Australian character. Ideals such as “triumphs against the odds”, “courage”, ingenuity in adversity” and “bonds of mateship” are embodied by the Unknown Soldier, and it is to him that real “nobility and grandeur” belong. His portrayal of national identity and “democratic tradition” resonate even today as values such as mateship, loyalty, courage and a never-say-die attitude are held in high esteem by Australian society.
Throughout the speech, Keating also highlights his negative attitude towards war, with emotive words such as “awful, mad, and brutal” and condemns the “political incompetence” that gives rise to conflict. Spiritual allusions in “enshrine a nation’s love for peace...sacrifice of men” highlight the lesson which transcends the costs of war. On the other hand, the validity of that conclusion can be questioned in today’s context seeing the number of wars Australia has been involved in since then.
Another enduring ideal from the speech is the capability of “ordinary” people to be heroes which Keating emphasises in the paradoxical lesson “about ordinary people...they were not ordinary”. This in particular resonates with today’s audience since it is an inspiring, motivational ideal – that every person has in them what it takes to be a hero.
Thus Keating’s speech, and the ideals and values in it have a lasting effect on Australian society.
Similarities:
The themes – justice, identity, both call for remembrance, calls for unity.
Differences: Bandler more colloquial, anecdotal, personal. More confrontational, calls for action rather than just remembrance.
I plan to expand on those ideas....and will write more about Bandler in this one. Does that sound all right? Also, how should you start and conclude the first three 5 mark answers? Essay style or just one introductory and concluding statement?
Speeches Essay
Speeches reflect great and provocative ideas that are often appropriate to personal and historical context. Through the use oratorical and rhetorical techniques, speakers use their speeches as a conduit to express ideas and views on issues that they feel passionate about. Speeches often cover extensive, significant and provocative topics closely associated with ideals such as equality, justice, freedom, reconciliation, remembrance and the role of individuals in world events. Use of oratorical, rhetorical and literary techniques is essential for various speakers to ensure that their audience comprehends the issues mentioned in the speech, as well as respond to the provocative ideas that underpin them. Speeches by Margaret Atwood, Aung San Suu Kyi and Paul Keating are all effective in their portrayal of great and thought-provoking ideas.
Margaret Atwood’s oratorical and literary genius is evident in her speech “Spotty-Handed Villainesses”. The speech revolved around the role of females in literature and challenges the established stereotypes, which according to Atwood, do not encapsulate what she deems the “complexity” and “many-dimensionality” of the female character. Her allusion to famous literary figures and their work suggests a well-educated audience. Also, in the context of this speech, a majority of the audience were likely to be female as evidenced by Atwood’s boldness in breaching the ‘once forbidden but now red-hot topic of the Menopause.’
Her clever use of various techniques is effective in ensuring that the audience understands and responds to the provocative ideas she mentions. At the beginning of the speech, she appeals to the Ethos of the audience through humour ‘took...great significance – after all, I had curls’ highlighting that female ‘bad behaviour’ is under-represented in lyric poems.
She uses a series of rhetorical questions – ‘Isn’t bad behaviour supposed to be the monopoly of men?’ and ‘Isn’t that what we – in defiance of real life – are somehow supposed to believe, now?’ – to establish her main concerns. Her playful, flippant tone engages the audience and underpins the overall informal voice throughout the speech. Atwood’s use of a truncated sentence at the end of the speech ‘In us’ highlights her main idea in the speech – that novels must reflect reality, especially in the context of female bad behaviour – if they are to have any meaning. Thus Atwood effectively uses oratorical and rhetorical techniques that help us to understand the provocative ideas in the speech and see through the facade of flippancy and digression, to the central theme of her speech – female representation in literature.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s keynote address deals with the empowerment and emancipation of women, and their role in the ‘global village’. In stark contrast to Atwood’s speech, she uses a grave, sombre tone that appeals to the Pathos of the audience. Her personal milieu is evident in the opening paragraph of her speech. Juxtaposition in ‘wonderful but daunting’ highlights this and appeals to the Ethos of the audience, explaining her inability to personally attend after her release from house arrest.
Sun Kyi’s use of rhetorical techniques is very effective in conveying the great ideas in her speech. She uses inclusive language ‘we’ and ‘us’ to engage the audience and evoke a response from them. Her use of symbolism through the Burmese proverb, ‘It crows to welcome the light’ emphasises how she feels that ‘bringing light is not the prerogative of men.’ This extended metaphor of light is used to signify freedom from ‘want’ and ‘war’, which Kyi feels are essential. Her use of personification and emotive language in ‘shackles of prejudice and intolerance’ convey that overcoming these is the collective aim of her actions. She also uses personal, emotive sentences – ‘To my knowledge, no war has ever been started by women’, to convey that due to the ‘nurturing, protecting, caring’ innate qualities in women, the world would be more peaceful place were it run by them. Thus Sun Kyi’s use of oratorical and literary techniques is vital in effectively portraying her message for us to understand and consequently respond to.
While the above speeches deal with feminism and similar issues, some speeches aim to evoke a collective response in the audience for a noble cause. Paul Keating’s “Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier” achieves this through its clever use of oratorical and rhetorical techniques to appeal to the Pathos of the audience, effectively evoking a response from them. The context of the speech, Remembrance Day, is significant and underpins the message behind Keating’s speech. Keating’s use of anaphora in the phrase ‘We do not know’ conveys that in spite of the soldier being faceless, his national identity is significant to the nation as a whole.
He uses inclusive language and a grave tone to engage the audience. His clever use of statistical data and repetition in ‘one of the 45,000 Australians who died on the Western Front’ and ‘One of the 100,000 Australians who have died in wars in this country’ again appeals to the Pathos of the audience and conveys his perspective of war itself. His paradoxical lesson ‘It is a lesson about ordinary people – and the lesson is they are not ordinary’ emphasises the significance of the sacrifice and courage of the Unknown Soldier. He uses symbolism to describe the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as ‘a reminder of what we have lost and what we have gained’ to convey the great idea of national identity and unity under the ANZAC legend. Thus Keating’s efficient use of oratorical techniques enables the audience to understand, relate with and respond to the great ideas mentioned in the speech.
All three speeches are thus effective in enabling the audience to understand and respond to the great and provocative ideas mentioned in the speeches.
this was the exact essay i wrote for the trial exam. so it answers the trial exam question. what changes do i need to make? (apart from not writing empty sentences) and also, which two speeches would be best to use? thanks mr.warren.